home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
The Mother of All Windows Books
/
CD-MOM.iso
/
cd_mom
/
drivers
/
misc
/
accp
/
access.txt
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1992-04-28
|
64KB
|
1,423 lines
Access Pack for Microsoft Windows
Access via Keyboard, Mouse, and Communication or Computer
Access Aids for Individuals with Disabilities
Developed by:
The Trace Research and Development Center
Madison, WI.
Revision 2.0
April 1992
For Microsoft Corporation
Mark Novak, Joe Schauer, and Gregg Vanderheiden
Table of Contents
Introduction to Access Pack
Installation of Access Pack software
Automatic Startup of the Access Utility
Non-Windows Applications' Use of Access Features
The StickyKeys Feature
The Keyboard Response Features (SlowKeys, RepeatKeys
and BounceKeys)
The MouseKeys Feature
The ToggleKeys Feature
The SerialKeys Feature
The ShowSounds Feature
The TimeOut Feature
Introduction to Access Pack
Access Pack for Microsoft Windows makes it easier for users
to control the keyboard and mouse when using Windows
versions 3.0 or 3.1. It is designed primarily for
individuals with motion-related disabilities who may have
difficulty using the computer keyboard or mouse, and for
individuals who prefer visual feedback in place of sounds.
Access Pack provides the following features:
StickyKeys allows single-fingered typing
SlowKeys ignores keys which are pressed accidentally
or for a short time
RepeatKeys adjusts or disables the keyboard repeat rate
BounceKeys ignores keys which are pressed too
quickly or at the same time
MouseKeys allows control of the mouse cursor using the
keyboard
ToggleKeys provides audio queues when toggle keys
are turned on or off
SerialKeys allows control of the computer using an
alternate input device
ShowSounds provides a visual cue when sounds are generated
TimeOut turns off the Access features when they're not
being used
These features can be used separately or in combination, and
can be customized to suit the user's preference. They are
all designed so that an individual who requires a feature
can turn it on without assistance, as long as the Access
Pack is installed. When all features are disabled,
individuals who do not need them should not notice that the
Access Pack is installed. Therefore, a computer on which
Access Pack is installed can be used both by individuals who
require it and those who do not.
It is recommended that Access Pack be installed on all
computers which may be used by multiple people, such as
public or workgroup machines.
The Access Pack software is fully compatible with most
hardware configurations. Access Pack consists of three
keyboard drivers and a mouse driver, which replace the
standard Windows drivers which are used on most hardware. It
also includes the Access Utility (ACCESS.EXE), a program
that controls the Access function, and a few other files
which the Access Utility uses.
Installation of Access Pack software
To install Access Pack by hand
1) Exit Windows to return to the MS-DOS prompt.
2) Open the SYSTEM.INI file by using a text editor.
3) Find the section labeled [boot].
4) In the [boot] section, find the entry labeled
"keyboard.drv=".
5) The following entries indicate that you are already
running an older version of the Access Pack keyboard
driver:
keyboard.drv=ap-kbd.drv
keyboard.drv=ap-kbdhp.drv
keyboard.drv=ap-kbdol.drv
If the entry in the [boot] section of your SYSTEM.INI
file matches any of these, you need to copy the newer
version of the corresponding .drv file to the Windows
SYSTEM directory. For example, if the Access Pack
software is located on a floppy disk in your A: drive,
and your SYSTEM.INI file reads "keyboard.drv=ap-
kbd.drv", and Windows is installed in the WINDOWS
directory on drive C:, then you should type the
following command at the MS-DOS prompt:
copy a:ap-kbd.drv c:\windows\system
The following entries indicate that you are running a
keyboard driver compatible with a corresponding Access
keyboard driver,
If your entry says: change the entry to: and copy file:
keyboard.drv=keyboard.drv keyboard.drv=ap-kbd.drv ap-kbd.drv
keyboard.drv=kbdhp.drv keyboard.drv=ap-kbdhp.drv ap-kbdhp.drv
keyboard.drv=kbdoli.drv keyboard.drv=ap-kbdol.drv ap-kbdol.drv
Instructions for copying the appropriate file to the
Windows SYSTEM directory are explained in the preceding
paragraph.
If your entry does not match any of those listed here,
then your computer may not be compatible with the
Access Pack software. Contact your computer
manufacturer to find out if your computer can be used
with any of the Access Pack keyboard drivers.
5) In the [boot] section, find the entry labeled
"mouse.drv=".
If the entry says "mouse.drv=ap-mou.drv" then you are
already running an older version of the Access Pack
mouse driver. You need to copy the newer version of
the AP-MOU.DRV file to your Windows SYSTEM directory.
If the entry says "mouse.drv=mouse.drv" then you are
running standard keyboard drivers which can be
replaced with the corresponding Access driver. Copy
the file AP-MOU.DRV to your Windows SYSTEM directory,
and edit the entry in SYSTEM.INI to say "mouse.drv=ap-
mou.drv".
If your entry does not match any of those listed here,
contact your mouse manufacturer to find out if your
mouse is compatible with the Microsoft mouse driver, or
if the manufacturer has an Access driver available.
If you cannot install an Access mouse driver, you will
not be able to use the Access Pack MouseKeys feature or
control the mouse using the SerialKeys feature, but you
will still be able to use the keyboard-related
features.
6) Copy the following files from the Access Pack into your
Windows directory:
ACCESS.EXE
ACCESS.WRI
ACCESS31.HLP
ACCESSU.DLL
IBMMKEYS.BMP
SKWIN.BMP
For example, if the Access Pack software is on a floppy
disk in drive A: and Windows is installed in the
WINDOWS directory on drive C:, then you should type the
following commands at the MS-DOS prompt:
copy a:access.exe c:\windows
copy a:access.wri c:\windows
copy a:access31.hlp c:\windows
copy a:accessu.dll c:\windows
copy a:ibmmkeys.bmp c:\windows
copy a:skwin.bmp c:\windows
Note: If you are running Microsoft Windows version 3.0,
you should copy the file ACCESS30.HLP instead of
ACCESS31.HLP.
7) Start Windows, and then create a program item for the
file ACCESS.EXE.
For more information about creating program items, see
Chapter 3, "Program Manager," in the "Microsoft
Windows User's Guide."
Automatic Startup of the Access Utility
Once Windows has been configured to use the Access Pack
keyboard driver, the Access features can be activated
whenever Windows is running. The individual features can be
enabled or disabled, or customized to fit the your
preferences, using the Access Utility (ACCESS.EXE).
The Access Utility can be started at any time to adjust
these options. Instructions for starting applications are
described in Chapter 2, "Application Basics", in the Windows
3.1 Windows User's Guide (or Chapter 2, ""Basic Skills" in
the Windows 3.0 Windows User's Guide).
If you would like to have the Access Utility running at all
times, you may have it started automatically every time you
start Windows.
If you are running Windows 3.1, you should add a program
item for the Access Utility to the "StartUp" program group
in Program Manager. For detailed instructions, see Chapter
3, "Program Manager", in the Windows 3.1 Windows User's
Guide.
If you are running Windows 3.0, you must edit a file called
WIN.INI. To edit the WIN.INI file, you must have a word
processor or text editor that has the ability to read, write
and save a "text" or "ASCII" file. The WIN.INI file should
be in the Windows directory (for example, c:\windows). The
second or third line in the WIN.INI file contains the
instruction "load = ". If a program name or some command
appears after the "load = " instruction, just append the
Access Utility onto the line by leaving a blank space and
then type "access.exe" (without quotes). For example, to
have the Access Utility and the Windows clock program start
up as icons each time you start Windows, change the WIN.INI
load line to read as follows:
load = clock.exe access.exe
If you would rather have the Access Utility start as an open
window, append it to the next line of the WIN.INI file,
which has the instruction "run = ".
Non-Windows Applications' Use of Access Features
The Disability Access Features StickyKeys, RepeatKeys,
SlowKeys, BounceKeys, MouseKeys, ShowSounds, ToggleKeys, and
TimeOut will only function for Windows Applications. If you
need similar access features in non-Windows applications,
you will need to utilize other programs. Some of these
other programs include Terminate and Stay Resident (TSR)
programs such as AccessDOS. AccessDOS includes all of the
above disability access features for DOS users and is
available FREE from IBM (800) 426-7282.
The StickyKeys Feature
StickyKeys is a feature that allows people who must type
with 1 finger, a mouthstick or a headstick to be able to use
modifier keys (SHIFT, CTRL, and ALT keys). With StickyKeys
turned on, a person can press a modifier key and then
another key in sequence rather than at the same time, to get
shifted (modified) characters. To turn StickyKeys on from
the keyboard, tap either shift key five times (without
disturbing the mouse). If you have the sound features of
StickyKeys enabled, you will hear an up-siren tone. To turn
off StickyKeys off from the keyboard, tap a shift key five
times (you will hear a down-siren if the sound feature is
enabled). StickyKeys can also be turned on or off from the
StickyKeys dialog box under the "Adjust" menu.
StickyKeys operates in two modes: key latching mode and key
locking mode. Tapping ONCE on a modifier key causes it to
go into LATCHED mode. If you have the sound features of
StickyKeys enabled, a short low beep - high beep will be
heard. As soon as the next non-modifier key is pressed the
modifier key(s) will be released. Tapping TWICE in
succession on a modifier key will put it into LOCKED mode.
If you have the sound features of StickyKeys enabled, you
will hear a short low - high beep after the first tap and a
single high beep after the second tap. Once a modifier key
is LOCKED, it will stay "locked down" until that modifier
key is hit a third time. Any and all of the modifier keys
(SHIFT, CTRL, and ALT) can be latched or locked in
combination.
For shared or public use computers, there is an optional
"Turn off when pressing Two keys at once" feature to keep
non-disabled users from being confused if StickyKeys is
accidentally left on. Whenever an able-bodied typist uses a
keyboard, they will hold the modifier key down and strike
another key simultaneously. If the "Turn off when pressing
Two keys at once" shutoff feature is enabled, StickyKeys
will detect that two keys are down simultaneously and
automatically turn the StickyKeys feature off.
Some people do not like to have keyboard sounds while others
find them useful. The ability to turn the different
feedback sounds on or off is provided in the StickyKeys
dialog box under the "Adjust" menu. Also, it is possible to
disable the LOCKED mode of StickyKeys described above if it
is not desired.
On United States keyboards or when using "United States" as
your country and keyboard layout, StickyKeys treats the
modifier keys as identical pairs. In other words,
StickyKeys will treat the left and right shift (SHIFT), the
left and right control (CTRL), and the left and right
alternate (ALT) keys the same. Treating the modifier keys
as identical pairs allows the user greater flexibility. For
example, if the user entered LOCKED mode by tapping the left
shift key twice, they could perform their intended function
and exit LOCKED mode by tapping the right shift key once,
since the two modifier keys are treated the same.
On non United States keyboards or when not using "United
States" as your country or keyboard layout, you may find
that your particular international keyboard attempts to
distinguish between the left and right modifier keys. In
particular, your international keyboard may need to
distinguish between the left and right alternate (ALT) keys.
This is typically done by giving the right alternate key a
new name, instead of just "Alt", it is now called the
"AltGr" key. "AltGr" is an abbreviation for "alt-graphics".
For international keyboard layouts, StickyKeys will still
allow the user to move freely between the left and right
shift (SHIFT) or control (CTRL) keys, but you will notice a
difference in the behavior of the left and right alternate
(ALT) keys. The left alternate key will behave as the
standard "Alt" key, typically used to quickly access a menu
item, while the right alternate key will behave as the
"AltGr" key, which many international keyboards use to
access special characters important to their individual
languages. Both the "Alt" and the "AltGr" keys can still be
used in either LATCHED or LOCKED mode.
The Keyboard Response Features
The Keyboard Response group is a set of functions that
modify how the individual keys on the keyboard behave or
respond when you press them. If the standard key-repeat
feature of your keyboard is too fast, or you don't want it
at all, RepeatKeys allows you to slow it down or turn it
off. If you bump keys accidentally as you move around on
the keyboard and would like to slow the keyboard response
down so that it would only accept keys after they have been
held down for awhile, SlowKeys will do this for you. If you
have a tremor and accidentally type keys twice as you press
or release them, BounceKeys can be used to make the computer
ignore the extra tap on the keyboard.
The three functions under Keyboard Response, RepeatKeys,
SlowKeys, and BounceKeys, are enabled and disabled together
as a group. This is done to simplify turning the group on
and off from the keyboard. Most people are only interested
in using one or two of the functions in the group. This is
not a problem. You can individually adjust the functions
within this group such that when enabled, unwanted functions
will have no effect.
There are two adjustments for the RepeatKeys function. The
first setting, "Repeat Rate", allows you to adjust the speed
at which the keys will repeat when you hold a key down. The
smaller numbers (like 0.3) will make keys repeat faster. If
you do not want the keys to repeat at all, then just set the
Repeat Rate to OFF. If the Repeat Rate is set to OFF, the
Delay until Repeat scroll bar will be disabled. To re-
enable the Delay until Repeat, you must select a Repeat Rate
other than OFF.
The second setting, "Delay until Repeat", allows you to set
the length of time you must hold a key down before it will
begin to repeat. If you have trouble releasing a key in
time, then set this to a higher or longer setting.
(NOTE: For RepeatKeys to work within Windows 3.0, you must
adjust the Control Panel keyboard setting for "Repeat Rate",
a sliding bar, all the way to the left for "slow". For
RepeatKeys to work within Windows 3.1, you must adjust the
Control Panel keyboard setting for "Repeat Rate", a sliding
bar, all the way to the left for "slow", and the keyboard
setting for "Delay Before First Repeat", another sliding
bar, all the way to the right for "short".)
SlowKeys allows you to slow down the keyboard so that keys
must be held down for a while before they will be accepted
by the computer. This is useful for individuals who could
use the keyboard but accidentally bump extra keys when they
try to type. By slowing down the response of the keyboard,
these extra key bumps are ignored and only the keys that are
typed and held down are accepted. SlowKeys only has one
setting called "Acceptance Delay". Acceptance Delay allows
you to adjust the amount of time that you must hold a key
down before it will be accepted by the computer. If you do
not want the SlowKeys function to be active, then just set
the Acceptance Delay to OFF.
Individuals who tremor or have impaired control of their
hands may find that they type two or more of the same letter
when they type. They bounce on the same key either when
they are pressing it or when they release it, causing extra
characters. BounceKeys allows the computer to ignore these
quick bounces on the same key, so that only one key is
accepted. There is only one setting for BounceKeys,
"Debounce Time". The larger the time setting, the longer
you will have to wait after you release a key before you can
type the same key a second time (up to 2 seconds!). If you
do not want the BounceKeys function, then just set the
Debounce Time to OFF. When BounceKeys is on, if you want to
type the same key twice you just need to pause a bit between
the two key presses. BounceKeys does not prevent you from
typing other keys quickly.
BounceKeys and SlowKeys cannot be used or both be active
(turned on) at the same time. This may seem confusing, but
if you have SlowKeys on (e.g. acceptance delay does not
equal OFF), it will provide a BounceKeys like function on
both the hit and release of each key. While SlowKeys would
assist some individuals, it would hinder others since they
may only tremor or bounce when they release a key.
Therefore, these individuals would only want to have
BounceKeys active.
Once you have set up the desired values under Keyboard
Response (RepeatKeys, SlowKeys and BounceKeys), you need to
enable group. If the Keyboard Response dialog box is open
(e.g. under "Adjust" menu), then select ON at the top of the
dialog box. This will turn on any of the Keyboard Response
functions which you selected.
Sometimes you may want to enable or disable the Keyboard
Response functions from the keyboard without having to open
the dialog box. To do this just hold the right shift key
down for 8 seconds. After about 4 seconds you will hear 3
short warning beeps. (These are provided just in case
someone is accidentally resting their hand on the right
shift key and doesn't really want to enable these functions
- it's sort of a "get off the key" warning). Since you do
want these functions enabled, just ignore these warning
beeps and keep holding the key down. After about 4 seconds
more you will hear an up-siren (e.g. provided Sound when
turned on or off is enabled). You can release the right
shift key now and the Keyboard Response functions will be
enabled using the values you set for RepeatKeys, SlowKeys
and BounceKeys. You can disable the Keyboard Response group
from the keyboard using this same procedure. When you
disable the group you will hear a down-siren (e.g. provided
Sound when turned on or off is enabled).
Some individuals are completely unable to operate the
computer unless they can turn the keyboard repeat function
off and/or turn SlowKeys on. These individuals could find
themselves in a Catch-22, unable to use the computer to turn
on the functions they need to operate the computer. There
is a solution to this problem built into the Access Utility.
There is an emergency enabling routine that allows you to
turn the Keyboard Response functions on using only one key
on the keyboard. To enable the emergency settings for
Keyboard Response from the keyboard, you just hold down the
right shift key (as you normally do to enable the Keyboard
Response) except that you keep holding it down even after
you hear the first up-siren. If you hold the right shift
key down long enough, this is the sequence of events that
will happen: after 4 seconds, 3 short warning beeps; after 4
more seconds, a single up-siren indicating that Keyboard
Response has turned on with the settings you previously
chose with the dialog box open or with the default settings;
after 4 more seconds, you will hear 2 up-sirens which is the
first level of emergency settings, RepeatKeys will have the
Repeat Rate OFF (no key repeats), SlowKeys will be OFF, (no
acceptance delay), and BounceKeys will have a Debounce Time
of 1 second; after 4 more seconds (total of about 16
seconds), you will hear 3 up-sirens which is the second
level of emergency settings, RepeatKeys will have the Repeat
Rate OFF, SlowKeys will have the acceptance delay set to
maximum or 2 seconds, and BounceKeys will be OFF. If an
individual activates either of the two emergency settings,
they should then open the Keyboard Response dialog box and
change the settings to the values they need to operate the
computer keyboard. After these changes have been made and
saved, the user should exit the emergency settings (hold
right shift key down for 8 seconds until the down-siren) and
then re-activate Keyboard Response (hold right shift key
down for 8 seconds until the up-siren). The Keyboard
Response functions would then be turned on with the
individuals newly saved settings.
Another very useful feature in the Keyboard Response
functions is the setting called "Click when a key is
Pressed". If this setting is checked and any of the
Keyboard Response functions are active, you will hear a
click when you press the key, or when the key repeats. For
example, if SlowKeys is active, you would hear a key "click"
sound when the key is pressed and also when the computer
accepts the key. You may just wish to have a key "click"
sound with every key you press while not using the Keyboard
Response functions. To do this, set SlowKeys and BounceKeys
to OFF, adjust RepeatKeys to your needs, and then turn on
the Keyboard Response group. The "Click when a key is
Pressed" feature provides additional user feedback. This
can be very important when the keyboard has been modified to
function or "respond" differently then the expected norm.
The MouseKeys Feature
Some users do not have the physical control to operate a
pointing device such as the mouse, yet need to access
software which requires them to use the pointing device.
MouseKeys provides a means to control the mouse cursor on
the screen by using the numeric keypad on the keyboard. You
turn MouseKeys on or off by simultaneously pressing the left
ALT key, the left SHIFT key and the NUM LOCK key. When
MouseKeys turns on, you will hear an up-siren if you have
sounds enabled. (If you are using only one finger, a
mouthstick, or a headpointer to operate the computer, the
easiest way to activate MouseKeys is to first activate
StickyKeys by tapping either SHIFT key 5 times. You can
then hit the three keys in sequence rather than
simultaneously.) Once MouseKeys is turned on, the numeric
keypad becomes a mouse control pad. Each key on the keypad
performs a different mouse function. The "5, +, 0, and ."
keys operate the buttons on the mouse. Use the "5" key when
you want to click a mouse button once. To double-click a
mouse button, use the "+" key. When you want to hold a
mouse button down while you use the mouse (as for dragging),
press the "0" key to lock the mouse button down and the "."
key to release the mouse button. On 101-key keyboards, the
"/" makes the left mouse button the currently active button,
the "-" makes the right mouse button the currently active
button, and the "*" makes both mouse buttons the currently
active button. On older keyboard with fewer keys, it may
not be possible to make both mouse buttons active. The keys
"1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9" are used to move the mouse
cursor around the screen in the directions suggested by
their location on the numeric keypad. For example, pressing
the "1" key will move the mouse cursor down and to the left
while pressing the "8" key will move the mouse cursor
straight upward on the screen. Holding a direction key down
will cause the mouse cursor to continue to move in the
respective direction, slowly at first, and then increasing
to the maximum speed. The mouse pointer will then continue
at maximum speed until the key is released. Both the
maximum speed of the mouse cursor and the time it takes to
get to maximum speed are adjustable in the MouseKeys dialog
box under the "Adjust" menu.
(NOTE: If SlowKeys is active, all the MouseKey control keys
will respond according to the amount of "Acceptance Delay"
selected.)
While MouseKeys is on, you can use the NUM LOCK key to
toggle the MouseKeys control pad back to a numeric keypad
and vice versa. This feature is especially useful if you
are using a laptop or notebook computer which doesn't have a
separate numeric keypad. On these computer keyboards, the
numeric keypad is usually overlaid on top of the standard
"qwerty" keyboard. Tapping once on the NUM LOCK key to
toggle between either a numeric keypad or a mouse control
pad makes it very convenient for the user. When toggling
between a mouse control pad and the numeric keypad, the
numeric keypad will be in the state it was in before
MouseKeys was started. For example, if you were using the
numeric keypad for number entry before starting MouseKeys,
when you toggle out of MouseKeys with the NUM LOCK key, you
will be able to enter numbers with the numeric keypad. If
you were using the numeric keypad as a cursor keypad before
starting MouseKeys, when you toggle out of MouseKeys using
the NUM LOCK key, you will have a cursor keypad. MouseKeys
will work in Windows 3.0 and Windows 3.1 in conjunction with
the standard Microsoft or IBM PS/2 mouse. You can use the
standard mouse to move quickly about the screen and then use
MouseKeys to move more precisely (unit by unit) to your
final destination. Some people cannot use the standard
mouse while simultaneously holding down the mouse button.
You can use MouseKeys to lock down the currently active
mouse button, move the mouse cursor using MouseKeys or the
real mouse, and then release the mouse button using
MouseKeys.
Note: This version of the Access Utility (3.0.a) does not
require the user to have a Microsoft or PS/2 mouse connected
to the computer in order for MouseKeys to work while running
Windows.
The ToggleKeys Feature
People with visual impairments may not be able to see the
lights on the keyboard that indicate CAPS LOCK, NUM LOCK and
SCROLL LOCK status. ToggleKeys provides a solution to this
by emitting a tone whenever these keys are pressed. If
ToggleKeys is enabled, when you press one of these keys and
it turns on, you will hear a high beep. When you press one
of these keys and it turns off, you will hear a low beep.
ToggleKeys is turned on from the keyboard by pressing the
NUM LOCK key and holding it down for about 5 seconds. When
ToggleKeys turns on, you will hear an up-siren if sound is
enabled. You turn ToggleKeys off from the keyboard the same
way, just hold the NUM LOCK key for about 5 seconds and you
will hear a down-siren. ToggleKeys can also be turned on or
off from the ToggleKeys dialog box under the "Adjust" menu.
ToggleKeys will also function with some keyboards which do
not have the status indicator lights for the CAPS LOCK, NUM
LOCK and SCROLL LOCK keys. The audible low and high beeps
can be very useful for all operators when using this style
of keyboard.
The SerialKeys Feature
Some people cannot use the keyboard and mouse at all due to
a physical impairment, and must use some specially designed
input device to perform the functions of the keyboard and
the mouse. In some cases these special input devices can be
connected to a computer's serial port (the connector
commonly used for attaching a modem or printer). Simply
connecting the special input device to the computer's serial
port, however, is not enough to allow you to emulate or
control keyboard and mouse functions. The computer is
designed to receive keyboard and mouse signals through its
keyboard and mouse ports, not through its serial port.
SerialKeys allows you to control keyboard and mouse
functions through the serial port. This is done by sending
the right series of letters and commands from the special
input device to the computer's serial port. The regular
keyboard and mouse can still be used while SerialKeys is
being used. However, typing at the standard keyboard while
simultaneously entering commands using SerialKeys may cause
SerialKeys to loose track of the status of various keys on
the standard keyboard.
The most commonly used special input device for SerialKeys
is a communication aid: an electronic device often used by
people who can't communicate by speech alone because of a
physical disability that affects their speech. Using
SerialKeys requires you to program specific key definitions
into your special input device. You will need the manual
for your device in order to carry out this programming.
The instructions below tell you how to set up SerialKeys
with a device such as a communication aid (we just refer to
the device as "the aid" in these instructions). These
instructions tell you how to hook up your aid to the
computer, how to set up SerialKeys on the computer, and what
letters or commands to send so you can type any key on the
keyboard and make any mouse movement you want from the aid.
Follow the instructions step-by-step, and you should be
successful in hooking up your aid and using SerialKeys.
NOTE: These instructions do NOT tell you how to program
your own aid. You will need to consult the manual for your
aid, or contact the manufacturer if you have questions.
The steps in these instructions are numbered from 1 to 20;
steps 1 through 10 discuss basic skills, and steps 11
through 20 discuss advanced topics. If you are the user of
the aid, someone may need to assist you the first time you
set up SerialKeys.
Step 1: Determine if your communication aid will work with
SerialKeys
You need to make sure your aid will work with SerialKeys.
You should be able to answer "yes" to all six questions:
1) Can you program selections on your aid to have unique
words and sentences stored under them? Most electronic
communication aids these days will let you program any
series of characters (letter, numbers, symbols) you want for
a particular selection.
2) Can your aid store at least 84 programmable selections?
You will need at least one selection space for each key on
the computer's keyboard, plus more if you want to use the
mouse. There are 84 keys on the standard IBM AT keyboard,
and now many keyboards have 101 keys. You don't need to be
able to store all of the keys and mouse actions on the same
level (or overlay) on your aid. You may, for instance, want
to use one level for the keyboard and one for the mouse.
3) Does your aid have a serial port? This is the
connection sometimes used to hook up a printer. It is
sometimes called an RS-232 serial port.
4) Can you program selections on the aid so that when they
are selected, they will automatically be sent to the serial
port? Many aids have this capability, since it can be
useful for printing messages. If you have a printer
connected to your serial port, typing h-e-l-l-o on your aid
and sending it out the serial port will make "hello" print
out on the printer. If you have your aid's serial port
connected to the computer's serial port, and you have
SerialKeys working, typing h-e-l-l-o on your aid and sending
it out the aid's serial port will cause the word "hello" to
appear on the computer--just as if it had been typed on the
computer's keyboard.
5) Does your computer have a serial port? This is
sometimes called a "COM" port in computer jargon. If you
don't have one, you can probably add one to your computer.
If you have a serial port but you are using it for something
else, such as connecting a printer or a modem, you will have
to:
- disconnect the printer or modem, OR
- equip your computer with another serial port.
6) Can your communication aid send information through its
serial port at the rate of 300 baud? (The term 300 baud
refers to the speed at which characters are transmitted.)
Most aids can send information at 300 baud, but check and
make sure. Your aid may be able to send information faster
than 300 baud as well, and that's OK. SerialKeys can "talk
to" an aid that's sending information at 300, 600, 1200,
2400, 4800, or 9600 baud. However, 300 baud is the
recommended speed setting. If your aid requires a higher
baud rate, you will need to be aware of some additional
operating features.
Step 2: Connect your aid to your computer
Just plug one end of the serial cable into the serial port
on your aid and the other end into the serial port on your
computer. If you don't already have a serial cable, you
will need to obtain it from the manufacturer of your aid.
NOTE: Your aid may require an adapter to match the
connector on your computer. In addition, your aid may
require a NULL modem adapter to talk properly with your
computer.
Step 3: Configure your aid for serial transmission
Your aid and SerialKeys must be talking to each other at the
same speed (baud rate) for them to communicate at all. We
recommend choosing a speed of 300 baud. You must also make
sure your aid is configured correctly. It must be
communicating at 300 baud, with the following format:
- 1 start bit
- 8 data bits
- 1 stop bit
- no parity.
You don't have to know what this means, you just have to
make sure your aid is configured that way. Check the manual
of your aid to find out how to do it. In addition, most
aids have a special selection or a switch for causing the
characters stored in your aid to be transmitted out the
serial port. Make sure you "turn on" this function. Other
aids may require you program special codes to set up the
serial port. Again, please read your manual to find out how
to do this.
Step 4: Activate SerialKeys
Before you can use SerialKeys, you need to make sure
SerialKeys is active within Windows on your computer. Open
the Access Utility window, and under the "Adjust" menu item,
select SerialKeys. The SerialKeys dialog box will then
open. Then select the Serial Port, either Com port 1, Com
port 2, Com port 3, or Com port 4, and select the Baud Rate
(suggest 300 baud to start). Then turn SerialKeys ON and
exit the dialog box. You may also want to save this setting
change under the "File" menu.
NOTE: Only version 3.0.a of the Access Utility provides the
user with the option of choosing between Com ports 1 through
4. The Access Utility does not attempt to verify whether or
not your computer hardware actually supports Com ports 1
through 4, but rather depends on Windows to make such a
determination. Before attempting to connect your
communication aid, you may want to review your computer
manuals to be sure it supports your choice of either Com
port 1, 2, 3, or 4.
Learn to program keys and mouse actions on your aid
The next series of steps will tell you how to program each
different type of key or mouse movement, and give you
examples which you can try programming. This way, you can
check and make sure that your aid and computer are set up
properly, and that you understand how to program the aid,
before you program the complete set of keys and mouse
movements. There are four basic types of SerialKeys actions
you can program into any selection (position) on your aid:
1) basic keys,
2) special keys,
3) modifier keys,
4) mouse movements.
Before you start typing keys, send three null characters
from your aid to the computer. This resets SerialKeys.
(The null character is different from a zero; usually it can
be made on your aid by typing control-@.)
Step 5: Typing basic keys
Each key on your computer keyboard is given a keyname, and
it is this keyname that you must program into your aid if
you want to be able to type that key. Many of the keynames
consist of a single character. These we are calling "basic
keys."
`1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 -
q w e r t y u i o p [ ]
a s d f g h j k l ; '
z x c v b n m , . / \
To type one of these keys, you just send that single
character out the serial port of the aid. For example, to
type the word "hello", you simply select the "h" keyname,
the "e" keyname, the "l" keyname, another "l" keyname, and
finally an "o" keyname. Most aids have all of these single
character keynames programmed into them so there is no
additional programming for you to do for these keys.
Step 6: Typing special keys
If you look at the computer keyboard, you will find that
there are many keys that do not have single character
keynames. For example, the Num Lock and the Enter key each
have more than a single character name. We call these keys
special keys since you have to do something different if you
want to type them using your communication aid. To type
special keys, you must program a sequence of characters into
a single selection on your communication aid. The sequence
for special keys is different for each key, but always
follows two rules:
1) The sequence must begin with the Escape character.
2) The sequence must end with a period.
The Escape character usually can be generated on your aid by
selecting the Control function along with the left bracket
([). On some aids, this will appear as ^[. Check the
instruction manual of your aid if you're unsure of how to
make the Escape character on it. We will refer to the
Escape character by putting "esc" between two angle
brackets, like this: <esc>. Remember: when you see <esc>
in a sequence of characters, it just means ONE character
(the Escape character), not five characters, as it might
appear.
To program the name of a special key into your aid, program
the Escape character first, then the correct name for the
special key, then a period. These should all be programmed
as one word or selection on your aid. Then when you need
the special keys, the entire string would be sent out to the
serial port of the computer by only making one selection on
your aid.
For example, to type the Enter key, the character sequence
would be:
<esc>enter.
The escape character comes first, followed by the keyname
for the key that you want to press, followed by a period
(.). SerialKeys has official names for each of the special
keys on your keyboard. Since the sequences for special keys
are somewhat long, you will want to program an entire
sequence for a special key into a single selection on your
aid. Then you can label this selection (e.g. Enter) and
have it ready for when you need to type the key. In fact,
you will probably want to program the sequences for all the
special keys on your computer keyboard into selections on
your aid. The time spent doing this will be made up many
times once you begin using your aid to access the computer.
See Steps 9 and 10 to learn how to set up the complete
keyboard, and for a table of all the keynames.
Step 7: Typing Modifier Keys (Shift, Control, Alt)
There are three special keys which have to be typed
differently from the other special keys: Shift, Control
(Ctrl), and Alternate (Alt). These three keys are called
the modifier keys, since they don't do anything themselves
but modify the action of another key. Shift, for instance,
will make a small "a" into a capital "A.". On an ordinary
keyboard, the modifier key is held down while the other key
is pressed. SerialKeys imitates this action by using a
command called "hold". Here's the sequence you have to type
on your aid in order to type a modifier key:
1) The Escape character
2) Comma (,)
3) The word "hold"
4) Another comma (,)
5) The name for the modifier key (see Step 10, below)
6) Period (.)
7) The key you want to modify.
The following command string would be used to send a capital
A on your computer using SerialKeys.
<esc>,hold,shift. (holds the shift down)
a (while you send the "a" key)
Remember, <esc> means the Escape character on your aid. And
don't forget the commas and the period. If you've typed the
sequence successfully, a capital "A" should appear on your
computer, just as if you had held down the Shift key on the
regular keyboard and then pressed the "a" key.
Most keyboards have two Shift keys, a right shift key and a
left shift key. You can use different keynames (lshift and
rshift) for the two keys to distinguish between them if you
wish. Some keyboards also have right and left Control keys
and right and left Alternate keys. SerialKeys also
distinguishes between these. See Steps 9 and 10 to learn
how to set up the complete keyboard, and for a table of all
the keynames.
Step 8: Moving and clicking the mouse
If your computer is equipped to use a mouse (IBM PS/2 or
Microsoft mouse), you can operate all the mouse functions
from your aid as well, using SerialKeys. If you're not
interested in performing mouse functions, skip over to Step
9 and 10.
Before you do any mouse functions through SerialKeys, you
should send the "moureset" (mouse reset) command. This
should be done whenever you start up an application program
(such as a word processing program) that uses the mouse.
Just send this command from your aid.
<ecs>,moureset.
The mouse pointer should move to the upper left hand corner
of the screen.
Moving the mouse
You can do the equivalent of moving the mouse by sending a
"move" command from your aid to the computer. Here are the
parts of a move command, in the proper order:
1) the Escape character (see Step 4 if you don't know what this is)
2) a comma
3) the word "move"
4) another comma
5) a plus or minus sign followed by a number
(for horizontal movement)
6) another comma
7) another plus or minus sign followed by a number
(for vertical movement)
8 a period.
The move command takes two numbers after it: first the
motion in the horizontal direction and then the motion in
the vertical direction. There must be either a plus (+) or
a minus (-) sign before each number, unless the number is a
zero. Positive numbers move the mouse pointer to the right
or down. Negative numbers move the mouse pointer left or
up.
Examples:
<esc>,move,+10,-20. moves 10 units to right and 20 units up z
<esc>,move,-10,+20. moves 10 units to left and 20 units down
Clicking the Mouse
In order to click the button on a mouse, you use the "click"
command. The commands should be typed as you see below.
Remember, <esc> means a single "Escape" character.
Examples:
<esc>,click,left. clicks the left button
<esc>,click,right. clicks the right button
Double-clicking the mouse
You can double-click the mouse using the same commands shown
above, but with the command "dblclick" in place of the
command "click":
Example:
<esc>,dblclick,left.
Clicking and Dragging with the Mouse
SerialKeys lets you do the equivalent of holding the mouse
button down while moving the mouse. This is done using the
"moulock" (mouse lock) and "mourel" (mouse release)
commands, together with the "move" command. If, for
example, you want to select text in a word processing
program that uses the mouse, you would:
1) Move the mouse to the beginning of the text you want to
select, using the "move" command as described above.
2) To press the mouse button down and keep it down, give
the "mouse lock" command:
<esc>,moulock,left.
3) Move the mouse to the end of the text you want to
select, using the "move" command as described above.
4) To release either button (or both), give the "mouse
release" command:
<esc>,mourel.
Step 9: Plan the layout for your aid
Steps 5-8 above showed you what sequences of characters to
send in order to type basic keys, special keys and modifier
keys, and to do mouse actions. Now you will want to program
a selection on your aid for each key or mouse action you
want to use. But before you program all of the keys and
mouse actions into your aid, you will probably want to
decide how to lay out the selections on your aid. Look at
the number of different keys you may want to have (see the
table under Step 10). You will probably want mouse
movements in addition? If your aid stores vocabulary in
levels, decide if you want keyboard and mouse actions on
separate "levels" in your aid. If you aid uses combinations
of symbols to store vocabulary, what combinations will you
want to use for keyboard and mouse functions?
Step 10: Programming your aid for keyboard and mouse functions
The following table lists character sequences you send from
your aid to simulate the individual keyboard keys. In some
cases there are several character sequences which all send
simulate the same key.
In this table, the term "p/r" is used to indicate a key
being pressed and immediately released. "Toggled" indicates
that a key such as CAPS LOCK will be turned on if currently
off, or turned off if currently on. "Pressed down"
indicates that the key will be pressed and remain held down
during the next key simulated.
Key name Send from aid Action(s)
alt <esc>,hold,alt. alternate key pressed down
backspace <esc>backspace. backspace key p/r
bksp <esc>bksp. backspace key p/r
capslk <esc>capslk. caps lock key toggled
capslock <esc>capslock. caps lock key toggled
comma <esc>comma. comma key p/r
control <esc>,hold,control. control key pressed down
ctrl <esc>,hold,ctrl. control key pressed down
del <esc>del. numeric pad del key p/r, "." or "del"
delete <esc>delete. delete key p/r
divide <esc>divide. divide key p/r, "/"
down <esc>down. down arrow key p/r
end <esc>end. end key p/r
enter <esc>enter. enter or return key p/r
esc <esc>esc. escape key p/r
escape <esc>escape. escape key p/r
f1 <esc>f1. function 1 key p/r
f2 <esc>f2. function 2 key p/r
f3 <esc>f3. function 3 key p/r
f4 <esc>f4. function 4 key p/r
f5 <esc>f5. function 5 key p/r
f6 <esc>f6. function 6 key p/r
f7 <esc>f7. function 7 key p/r
f8 <esc>f8. function 8 key p/r
f9 <esc>f9. function 9 key p/r
f10 <esc>f10. function 10 key p/r
f11 <esc>f11. function 11 key p/r
f12 <esc>f12. function 12 key p/r
home <esc>home home key p/r
ins <esc>ins. numeric pad ins key p/r, "0" or "ins"
insert <esc>insert. insert key toggled
kp* <esc>kp*. numeric pad star key p/r, "*"
kp+ <esc>kp+. numeric pad plus key p/r, "+"
kp- <esc>kp-. numeric pad minus key p/r, "-"
kp/ <esc>kp/. numeric divide key p/r, "/"
kp0 <esc>kp0. numeric pad 0 key p/r, "0" or "ins"
kp1 <esc>kp1. numeric pad 1 key p/r, "1" or "end"
kp2 <esc>kp2. numeric pad 2 key p/r, "2" or "down arrow"
kp3 <esc>kp3. numeric pad 3 key p/r, "3" or "pgdn"
kp4 <esc>kp4. numeric pad 4 key p/r, "4" or "left arrow"
kp5 <esc>kp5. numeric pad 5 key p/r, "5"
kp6 <esc>kp6. numeric pad 6 key p/r, "6" or "right arrow"
kp7 <esc>kp7. numeric pad 7 key p/r, "7" or "home
kp8 <esc>kp8. numeric pad 8 key p/r, "8" or "up arrow"
kp9 <esc>kp9. numeric pad 9 key p/r, "9" or "pgup"
kpdel <esc>kpdel. numeric pad . key p/r, "." or "del"
kpdelete <esc>kpdelete. numeric pad . key p/r, "." or "delete"
kpdivide <esc>kpdivide. numeric pad divide key p/r, "/"
kpdown <esc>kpdown. numeric pad 2 key p/r, "2" or "down arrow"
kpdp <esc>kpdp. numeric pad . key p/r, "." or "del"
kpend <esc>kpend. numeric pad 1 key p/r, "1" or "end"
kpenter <esc>kpenter. numeric pad enter key p/r
kphome <esc>kphome. numeric pad 7 key p/r, "7" or "home"
kpins <esc>kpins. numeric pad 0 key p/r, "0" or "ins"
kpinsert <esc>kpinsert. numeric pad 0 key p/r, "0" or "ins"
kpleft <esc>kpleft. numeric pad 4 key p/r, "4" or "left arrow"
kpmidl <esc>kpmidl. numeric pad 5 key p/r, "5"
kpminus <esc>kpminus. numeric pad minus key p/r, "-"
kppagedown <esc>kppagedown. numeric pad 3 key p/r, "3" or "pgdn"
kppageup <esc>kppageup. numeric pad 9 key p/r, "9" or "pgup"
kppgdn <esc>kppgdn. numeric pad 3 key p/r, "3" or "pgdn"
kppgup <esc>kppgup. numeric pad 9 key p/r, "9" or "pgup"
kpplus <esc>kpplus. numeric pad plus key p/r, "+"
kpright <esc>kpright. numeric pad 6 key p/r, "6" or "right arrow"
kpslash <esc>kpslash. numeric pad divide key p/r, "/"
kpstar <esc>kpstar. numeric pad star key p/r, "*"
kptimes <esc>kptimes. numeric pad star key p/r, "*"
kpup <esc>kpup. numeric pad 8 key p/r, "8" or "up arrow"
lalt <esc>,hold,lalt. left alternate key pressed down
lcontrol <esc>,hold,lcontrol. left control key pressed down
lctrl <esc>,hold,lctrl. left control key pressed down
left <esc>left. left arrow key p/r
leftalt <esc>,hold,leftalt. left alternate key pressed down
leftcontrol <esc>,hold,leftcontrol. left control key pressed down
leftctrl <esc>,hold,leftctrl. left control key pressed down
leftshift <esc>,hold,leftshift. left shift key pressed down
lshift <esc>,hold,lshift. left shift key pressed down
multiply <esc>multiply. star key p/r, "*"
numlk <esc>numlk. num lock key toggled
numlock <esc>numlock. num lock key toggled
pagedown <esc>pagedown. page down key p/r
pageup <esc>pageup. page up key p/r
period <esc>period. period key p/r, "."
pgdn <esc>pgdn. page down key p/r
pgup <esc>pgup. page up key p/r
ralt <esc>,hold,ralt. right alternate key pressed down
rcontrol <esc>,hold,rcontrol. right control key pressed down
rctrl <esc>,hold,rctrl. right control key pressed down
ret <esc>ret. return or enter key p/r
return <esc>return. return or enter key p/r
right <esc>right. right arrow key p/r
rightalt <esc>,hold,rightalt. right alternate key pressed down
rightcontrol <esc>,hold,rightcontrol. right control key pressed down
rightctrl <esc>,hold,rightctrl. right control key pressed down
rightshift <esc>,hold,rightshift. right shift key pressed down
rshift <esc>,hold,rshift. right shift key pressd down
scroll <esc>scroll. scroll lock key toggled
scrolllock <esc>scrolllock. scroll lock key toggled
shift <esc>,hold,shift. shift key pressed down
space <esc>space. space key p/r
tab <esc>tab. tab key p/r
tilde <esc>tilde. tilde key p/r, "`"
up <esc>up. up arrow key p/r
Step 11: Troubleshooting
If you are using SerialKeys and your aid stops sending keys
successfully, try:
1) Checking to make sure you included any necessary periods
in your keynames.
2) Sending three null characters. (The null character is
different from a zero; usually it can be made on your aid by
typing control-@.
3) Resetting both the aid and SerialKeys to 300 baud. (If
there is a communication difficulty, SerialKeys may
automatically reset itself to 300 baud, making it unable to
communicate with your aid if your aid is sending at a
different rate.)
Step 12: Advanced Topics
We recommend programming your aid to use the IBM Enhanced
Keyboard (101 keys). Even if your computer does not have
this keyboard, SerialKeys will function as the 101-key
keyboard. This may be to your advantage, as some software
packages will recognize the additional keys, enabling you to
access additional features. If you choose to program the 83
or 84 key keyboard, there are a few exceptions you should be
aware of:
1) To type the Break function, you would ordinarily hold the
Control key and press the Scroll Lock key. For SerialKeys,
hold the Control key and press the Pause key.
2) To type the Pause function you would ordinarily hold the
Control key and press the Num Lock key. For SerialKeys,
just press the Pause key.
Step 13: Advanced Mouse Movements
It's a good idea to at least program some square or
selection on your communication aid to move the mouse in the
four directions by 1, by 10, and by 100 units. This will
allow you to make small, fine movements and large, fast
movements.
Examples:
<esc>,move,+1,0. moves mouse cursor 1 unit right
<esc>,move,-1,0. moves mouse cursor 1 unit left
<esc>,move,0,+1. moves mouse cursor 1 unit down
<esc>,move,0,-1. moves mouse cursor 1 unit up
<esc>,move,+10,0. moves mouse cursor 10 units right
<esc>,move,-10,0. moves mouse cursor 10 units left
<esc>,move,0,+10. moves mouse cursor 10 units down
<esc>,move,0,-10. moves mouse cursor 10 units up
<esc>,move,+100,0. moves mouse cursor 100 units right
<esc>,move,-100,0. moves mouse cursor 100 units left
<esc>,move,0,+100. moves mouse cursor 100 units down
<esc>,move,0,-100. moves mouse cursor 100 units up
Step 14: Advanced Notes on Resetting SerialKeys
If you are using SerialKeys in a multi-user environment, the
first command you send to SerialKeys should be the reset
command. This will insure that SerialKeys will be at 300
baud and ready to accept your keyboard and mouse actions.
The reset command consists of sending 3 Null (ASCII 0)
characters with your aid configured to 300 baud. A Null
character can usually be generated on your aid by selecting
the control @ .
Step 15: Advanced Notes on using Lock and Release
This command can be used to hold a key down and lift it back
up again as separate actions. Its primary usefulness is in
using SerialKeys in combination with MouseKeys.
1) Turn on MouseKeys (see Help on MouseKeys).
2) Decide which direction you want to move the mouse.
Find out what numeric keypad key moves the mouse in that
direction in MouseKeys.
3) Send a lock command with that keyname. For example to
move the mouse cursor to the right:
<esc>,lock,kpright. or <esc>,lock,kp6.
4) When the mouse pointer has moved as far as you want in
that direction, send the release command:
<esc>,rel.
You can program the "lock" part and the "release" part of
this sequence each under a different selection on your aid,
so you don't have to type them out in full each time you use
them. Make sure to include the commas and periods.
Note: MouseKeys also allows you to hold and release a mouse
button or click a mouse button. See the "Help" menu section
on MouseKeys if you want to use these features with
SerialKeys.
Step 16: Advanced Notes on using the Keyboard Combine
Command
If you want to program a modifier key and some other key
under a single selection on your aid, use the combine
command to put several keystrokes under one selection on
your aid. This can be useful for common multiple-key
command combinations required by software. There must be
commas between the keys and a period at the end. No more
than five keys can be combined.
Example: <esc>,combine,shift,ctrl,enter.
Step 17: Advanced Notes on using the Mouse Goto Command
Moves the mouse to a specified location. You should send
the "moureset" command first. Both the horizontal and
vertical direction numbers require only a + sign. (See
moving the mouse, Step 8 above.)
Example:
<esc>,goto,+20,+25.
Step 18: Advanced Notes on using the Mouse Anchor Command
The mouse anchor command can be used to anchor the mouse
cursor to a position within a Windows Application. An
example of using the mouse anchor command to mark a current
window position, go to a new location and click the mouse to
select a new tool, go to another new location and click the
mouse to select another color, and then return to the exact
location you left to use that tool, is shown below. If you
change the Active Window between setting the mouse anchor
and returning to that anchor, the mouse anchor command will
not work.
Example:
<esc>,mouanchor. set the position or anchor the cursor
<esc>,goto,+10,+10. go to a new location
<esc>,click. click selects a new tool in this
application at location 10,10
<esc>,goto,+50,+10. go to a new location
<esc>,click. click selects a new color in this
application at location 50,10
<esc>,mouanchor. return to where you left from,
anchor released
Step 19: Advanced Notes on using the Baudrate Command
The baudrate command allows you to change the baud rate of
SerialKeys from your aid. The possible baud rates are 300,
600, 1200, 2400, 4800, and 9600. This command is never
absolutely necessary, since you can also set the baud rate
of SerialKeys by going into the "Adjust" menu.
Example:
<esc>,baudrate,300.
Using higher baud rates
If you decide to run SerialKeys at a baud rate faster than
300 baud, you must be aware of the special automatic reset
feature of SerialKeys. Whenever SerialKeys receives three
consecutive characters with a transmission error, it will
automatically reset to 300 baud. This is to enable users in
a multi-user environment to put SerialKeys in a known state
(300 baud). SerialKeys will signal any transmission problem
with a short beep. If SerialKeys resets to 300 baud, it
will make a long beep. SerialKeys will also signal a
baudrate change with a long beep.
Step 20: Additional Technical notes
1) SerialKeys uses hardware handshaking (DTR/RTS) and
software (XON/OFF) handshaking to control the flow of
characters from the aid. Characters may be lost if the aid
ignores the handshaking signals.
2) SerialKeys allows Windows to manage the Com ports
including the hardware interrupt lines. Windows may or may
not allow another device to use or share the interrupt line
that SerialKeys is using. This means that if for example,
you have SerialKeys turned on using Com port 1, you probably
can not use the Windows Terminal program on Com port 1.
Also, if you have SerialKeys on Com 1, and another
application is experiencing problems while using Com 3, you
may need to move the application or SerialKeys to Com 2 or
Com 4. See you computer manual for details on how Com 1/3
and Com 2/4 should be set, if you computer supports
additional Com ports 3 and 4.
The ShowSounds Feature
When the Access Utility is used by individuals with a
hearing impairment, or by individuals operating the computer
in a noisy environment, ShowSounds can be used to alert the
computer operator when the computer operating system or an
application has produced a sound. ShowSounds can alert the
operator by either flashing the entire Window Desktop once
(e.g. your main screen), or by flashing only the current
Active Window Caption Bar. ShowSounds can not be set to do
both at the same time. If there are no current Active
Windows, ShowSounds cannot flash any Caption Bars. Once
Caption Bar flashing has started, you can tell ShowSounds to
stop by typing any key on the keyboard. ShowSounds can only
be enabled from the ShowSounds dialog box under the "Adjust"
menu.
(NOTE: ShowSounds may not detect sounds produced by the
computer if they are very short in duration or length.)
(NOTE: The Window Desktop option is only supported on CGA,
EGA and VGA displays. On other displays the option will be
grayed out and unavailable.)
The Timeout Feature
When the Access Utility is used on a shared computer, it is
sometimes useful to have an automatic timeout feature that
would turn the access functions off if the computer were
left idle for awhile. The TimeOut function provides this
capability. There are two settings for the TimeOut
function, the "Allow ACCESS options to Turn Off if unused
for" setting and whether or not the TimeOut function should
make an audible sound when it turns all the keyboard, mouse,
and sound functions off. The TimeOut function can only be
turned on or off from the TimeOut dialog box under the
"Adjust" menu.
(NOTE: The TimeOut feature does not turn off the SerialKeys
function.)